The Prodigy-Invaders Must Die

Originally Written and Posted on Epinions.com on 3/29/09.

When the Prodigy returned following a seven-year hiatus with their fourth studio album Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned. The album was met with a lot of anticipation but the result was mixed responses from fans and critics. Notably since the record is really the group's brainchild Liam Howlett doing all of the music with various vocalists guesting on the record. Absent from the album were group vocalists Keith Flint and Maxim Reality, the latter would appear in a remix in one of its singles. It was around the time Howlett had a falling out with Flint, who had received attention in the band's hey-day for his punk look and singing on the band's famed singles from The Fat of the Land back in 1997.

In 2005, Howlett, Flint, and Reality released the best-of compilation Their Law: The Singles 1991-2005 which included a remix of Voodoo People and Out Of Space as its promotional single. The record also marked the band's last release for a major label as well as their affiliation with Madonna's record label Maverick, which had been acquired fully by Warner Brothers. After a two-year hiatus, Howlett and company decided to form their own label with help from the famed Cooking Vinyl label while starting work on their fifth studio album entitled Invaders Must Die.

Produced by Liam Howlett with additional production by James Rushnet of Does It Offend You, Yeah?, Invaders Must Die is an album that returns Howlett and company to the energetic, charging sounds of albums like Music for the Jilted Generation and The Fat of the Land. Though doesn't have the speedy, big-beat sounds of those records in some respects, the return of Maxim Reality and Keith Flint adds bite to the album for some hardcore electronic music with big beats and such. Featuring contributions from Dave Grohl of Nirvana & the Foo Fighters on drums and British vocalist/songwriter Amanda Ghost on backing vocals. Invaders Must Die is an album that Howlett and company got their mojo back.

The albums with its leading single in its title track co-produced by James Rushnet. Starting off with a warbling, intense track of bass lines from synthesizers and keyboards, it is followed by fuzzier keyboards and a simple, drum beat that goes into rock mode. With its squealing, high-pitch, fuzzy vocals and distorted vocals of its title, it's a song that gives the album a good start though it's not a great track overall. The second single Omen is a track with squealing synthesizers, driving beats, and intense bass lines that has Keith Flint singing through warbling vocal mixes. Yet, it's a track that has a lot of energy and crazy, intense beats that play through as it's a great choice for a single. Thunder is a track with growling guitars, Maxim's reggae-inspired vocals, and upbeat, bumping beats. With its layers of droning, bleeping synthesizers and frenetic beat arrangements, it's a song that really captures the energy of the early sounds of the Prodigy.

Colours with backing vocals by Amanda Ghost, is an energetic, frenetic song with a punk-rock energy in guitar and vocals from Flint and Ghost. With its charging guitars, wailing synthesizer melodies, and industrial-like beats, it's a song that has a great energy though its flawed when it slows down a bit every time. Take Me To The Hospital is a pulsating, warbling track with blaring synthesizer melodies, bumping beats, and fuzzy bass lines with vocals that are distorted through its layers and performance. Keith Flint's punk-growling vocals come in for the middle of the song as he delves into its energy and all of its carnage-like presentation. The third and current single Warrior Dance opens with a saxophone solo that wails through with hollow, thundering beats. With its wavy, melodic synthesizers and the vocals of Bridgette Grace from a sample of Take Me Away by True Faith & Final Cut. It's a song that is energetic yet filled with an array of beats from the very fast to simpler, more rollicking beats as it's another fantastic single from the Prodigy.

Run With The Wolves with drums by Dave Grohl, is a rocking song with charging guitars, Grohl's hard-pounding, upbeat drums, and wailing synthesizers. Led by Flint's growling vocals, it's a song that is brilliant in its electro-punk style with Grohl's drum being the main force along with Flint's punk-like demeanor. A reprise of Omen with its spurting synthesizers, bubbling noises, and blaring keyboards with vocals from its track popping up. World's On Fire is a track that features two samples, I Just Want To Get Along by the Breeders and Vamp by Outlander. With Maxim's vocals saying the line repeatedly through out the song, it's that vocal line that is the only major flaw for the track as it's repeated for the entirety of the song. Yet, it's arrangements of frenetic beats, blazing synthesizer layers ranging from flourishing melodies to squealing drones that does make the song bearable despite is repeated vocal line.

Piranha is a fast, industrial-rocker with an array of layered beats ranging from tribal to metallic as its accompanied by driving guitars and blaring synthesizers. With Maxim's growling vocals, it's a song that continues to maintain the album's energy along with eerie, theremin-like synthesizer tracks. The album's final track is Stand Up featuring Dave Grohl on drums. Opening with an ominous synthesizer drone that builds up, it starts to arrive with blaring, melodic trumpets from samples of songs by Manfred Mann. With Grohl's mid-tempo yet thundering drums, it's a song that has a simple beat and pounding bass lines. With its layers of squealing synthesizers and bouncing presentation, it's a fitting closer to the album.

Appearing in several deluxe versions and a four-track EP entitled Lost Beats are two bonus tracks. First is Black Smoke, an instrumental track with driving, droning bass synthesizers and metallic, tribal beats. With claps and growling guitars, it's a nice instrumental track that doesn't have much going for it despite its unique arrangements. Fighter Beat is another instrumental with wavy, droning synthesizers that plays through along with industrial-like, scratchy beats. With distorted clap beats and melodic synthesizer flourishes and bleeps, it's another interesting instrumental track that doesn't go anywhere but shows that Howlett wasn't running out of ideas.

While Invaders Must Die doesn't reach the brilliance of the 1990s recordings the Prodigy made, it's still an excellent yet energetic and fun album from Liam Howlett, Maxim Reality, and Keith Flint. Fans will rejoice in the fact that the band found their mojo after the somewhat lackluster Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned and the very misguided Baby's Got A Temper single. While it may not be innovative, it's a record that doesn't dated either as Liam Howlett along with his various collaborators finally created an album that does live up to what the Prodigy can do. In the end, Invaders Must Die is a declaration that the Prodigy is back and not ready to go away quietly.

The Prodigy Albums: Experience/Experience Expanded - Music for the Jilted Generation/More Music for the Jilted Generation - The Fat of the Land - The Dirtchamber Sessions Vol. 1 - Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned

(C) thevoid99 2011

The Prodigy-Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 3/27/09.

1997's The Fat of the Land help the Prodigy break through the American mainstream as the album debuted at #1 in the album charts as it became a worldwide hit. Despite the album's success, the group courted controversy over its single and video for the song Smack My Bitch Up. At the same time, the group's vocalist and dancer Keith Flint became the face of the band as he grabbed all of the attention away from the group's brainchild Liam Howlett. In response to the controversy and Flint's sudden attention, Howlett released a DJ mix album called The Dirtchamber Sessions Vol. 1 to rave reviews in early 1999. After that, the Prodigy suddenly disappeared with Flint and fellow vocalist Maxim Reality decided to focus on their own side projects. In 2000, dancer/occasional keyboardist Leeroy Thornhill left the group to forge a DJ career.

The Prodigy was unheard of until 2002 when the group decided to release a new single for the song Baby's Got A Temper. Originally a song for Keith Flint's side project, Flint asked Howlett to produce the track as it became a release from the Prodigy. The reaction towards the single was very negative while the song courted controversy over references a date rape drug. Howlett later disowned the single as he continued his hiatus until the summer of 2004 when he returned without Flint and Reality for a new album from the Prodigy featuring many guests entitled Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned.

Produced by Liam Howlett, Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned is an album that has Howlett returning to the simplified sounds of The Fat of the Land with less emphasize on extended instrumental suites and more about songs. With guest appearances ranging from actress Juliette Lewis, Kool Keith, Noel & Liam Gallagher of Oasis, Princess Superstar, and many others. The record is about vocals as it meshes with various electronics with Howlett taking new tricks. Though it doesn't reach the heights of past albums nor brings anything new to the electronic music genre. Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned is still a fascinating album from Liam Howlett and the Prodigy.

The album opener Spitfire with vocals by Juliette Lewis that features some bleeping keyboards and Eastern-like female vocal chants. With driving guitar riffs and blaring flute-like noises along with bumping, rumbling industrial-like drums. It's Lewis' punk-growling vocals that drive the song along with Matt Robertson's drum tracks and Howlett's arrangements of synthesizers and noises. The single Girls with vocals by the Magnificent Ping-Pong B*tches and samples of Style Of The Street by Broken Glass and You're The One For Me by D Train is a pulsating, upbeat track that pays tribute to old-school hip-hop. With robotic voices and raps, it is followed by fuzzy synthesizers and funky keyboard riffs as it's a great song that is filled with lots of energy and funk rhythms. The second single Memphis Bells with Princess Superstar on vocals has warbling, fizzed-out synthesizers with clapping, grinding beats and guitars. With Superstar's raspy, growling vocals, and bells in the background, it's an excellent song though it doesn't have much going for it musically.

Get Up Get Off with Juliette Lewis, Twista, and Shahih Badar is a fast, mid-tempo track with bumping, grinding beats with Twista's fast raps and Shahih Badar's wailing vocal chants. With Lewis' fuzzy vocals and musical presentation of droning synthesizers and keyboard melodies, it's a track that's fun though musically repetitive since not much goes on. Hotride with Juliette Lewis is an upbeat, fast-charging track with shimmering synthesizers, driving bass and guitars from Liam Howlett and Scott Donaldson, respectively, and backing vocals by Hanna Robinson. Along with a sample of Up, Up & Away by Jim Webb, it's a rocking song with industrial-like beats and Lewis' punk-style vocals as she also delves into a sexy vocal style reminiscent of Curve's Toni Halliday. Wake Up Call with Kool Keith is a track with throbbing bass lines and beats that drive the song with industrial-like beats for this rhythmic, intense track. Featuring Kool Keith's intense, engaging raps, it's a track that has bells ringing, wailing flutes, and distorted vocals from Hanna Robinson and Louise Boone.

Action Radar with Paul "Dirtcandy" Jackson is a mid-tempo, synthesizer-fused track with swirls and droning melodies that play through the pulsating beats. Yet, it doesn't have much imagination as even Paul Jackson sings in a raspy vocal that doesn't do anything which includes Louise Boone's backing vocals who sings in a sensual, high-pitch vocal style. Medusa's Path which includes samples of ELAHAYE Naz by Gholamhossein Banan and Plastic Dreams (Hohner Retro Mix) by Jaydee is an instrumental track of swirling, Indian music with throbbing beats and droning synthesizers along with fuzzy, wavy synthesizers. Musically, it has some good moments but nothing really interesting at all. Phoenix is one of the album's best cuts thanks to a sample of the Shocking Blue song Love Buzz, that was famously covered by Nirvana. The sample is the basis for the song with its melodic bass line with additional guitars from Matt Robertson and vocals from Louise Boone. With its grinding guitars, throbbing rhythms and melodies, it's a track that really stands out for its sample and deconstruction.

You Will Be Under My Wheels with Kool Keith is a track with horn-like synthesizer melodies, fuzzy beats and bass drones, wailing guitars, and Kool Keith's vocals. Despite its arrangements, the track doesn't do anything with Keith not doing much on the vocals department as it's surrounded by swirling synthesizers. The Way It Is which includes a sample Michael Jackson's Thriller with its use of its melodic, frenetic synthesizers and beats remixed by Matt Robertson and Rinse with engineer Neil MacLellan and Louise Boone adding vocals. Yet, with a song as famous as Thriller, it's the highlight of track but doesn't do anything with its fuzzy synthesizers and squealing, flute-like keyboard tracks. The album closer Shoot Down with Liam Howlett's brother-in-law Liam Gallagher on vocals and Noel Gallagher on bass plus a sample of My World Fell Down by Saggitarius is a mid-tempo, rocking song. With its melodic synthesizers and industrial-like drum tracks, Liam's raspy vocals bring some excitement in the song with driving guitars by Mike Horner. Though it's an excellent song, it doesn't entirely work due to Howlett trying to cram too many sounds with an overuse of synthesizers and instrumental bridges that kind of takes away the song's rocking energy.

Released in August 2004 and made in the span of six years, the album received mixed reviews from critics with some felt it was a letdown. Even as it came out seven years after its last studio album The Fat of the Land. The album was still successful commercially despite its sales not big in comparison to its predecessor with electronic fans felt it sounded dated at times. The record did manage to reveal that Liam Howlett was the man behind the brains of the Prodigy as a remix of Girls called More Girls featured Maxim Reality on vocals. It was around the same time that Howlett and vocalist Keith Flint were having a falling out as Howlett forged ahead with promotion of the new album.

While it's nowhere near the brilliance of the group's previous albums, Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned is still a good record from Liam Howlett and the Prodigy. With some excellent guest appearances from Juliette Lewis, Kool Keith, and the Gallagher brothers along with some great songs. It's a record that has some great moments and those that are all right but not great due to things that sound dated and not up to snuff with past recordings. Still, it's a record that rocks and is worth a listen. In the end, Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned is a good though flawed album from the Prodigy.

The Prodigy Albums: Experience/Experience Expanded - Music for the Jilted Generation/More Music for the Jilted Generation - The Fat of the Land - The Dirtchamber Sessions Vol. 1 - Invaders Must Die

(C) thevoid99 2011

The Prodigy-The Dirtchamber Sessions Vol. 1

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 3/25/09.

After the release of 1997's The Fat of the Land, the Prodigy were clearly the hottest electronic music act around the world. Despite their success, the band courted controversy over their single Smack My Bitch Up along with its accompanying music video. More problems emerged at the 1998 Reading Festival when the Beastie Boys asked the Prodigy not to play that song and they did as they were accused by feminists groups and such over misogyny. Around the same time, the Prodigy was now being looked as an electro-punk act thanks to the attention devoted to its vocalist/dancer Keith Flint and in his punk look. For the group's brainchild and producer Liam Howlett, the attention on the music seemed lost as he made a guest appearance on BBC radio doing some DJ mixes that proved to be popular. In response to its popularity, Howlett decided to release a compilation album of DJ mixes he created entitled The Dirtchamber Sessions Vol. 1.

Produced and compiled by Liam Howlett, The Dirtchamber Sessions Vol. 1 is a mixtape of material from Howlett compiling records from various artists into a mix album. Filled with an array of music ranging from the Beastie Boys, Ultramagnetic MC's, Chemical Brothers, Jane's Addiction, Meat Beat Manifesto, the Sex Pistols, and many others. It's an album that has Howlett taking control and deconstruct pieces of music into eight untitled tracks into a record of nearly fifty-two minutes of music. The result is a unique, entertaining album from Liam Howlett.

The album begins with thumping hip-hop style snare beats from RUN-DMC as it starts the record with a nice rhythm. Then the scratches come in for something more shimmering with its beats and bass lines as it segues into some scratchy tribal beats of old-school hip-hop. With some scratches and swirling synthesizers, it delves into 70s funk to maintain a nice groove with some disco bass lines. Then the Ultramagnetic MC's appear with a portion of Give The Drummer Some which includes the line "smack my bitch up like a pimp". The old-school continues with some scratchy, clapping beats and frenetic bass lines with synthesizers playing around with Chic heard in the background. With its thumping presentation continuing with Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five appearing to continue along with the vibrant sounds of Bomb the Bass. With Flash and the Furious Five returning for some old-school hip-hop. The vibe changes with the Madchester sounds of the Charlatans UK as it is followed by various beats until the appearance of the Prodigy's own Poison to play the electronic vibe.

The barking dogs arrive for the sound of Jane's Addiction's Been Caught Stealing to shimmy up the record with Tim Dog making an appearance for some hardcore hip-hop with the Boogie Down Production also making an appearance. The mood suddenly changes into a 70s-style song of funk and hip-hop with warbling, melodic guitar playing with a female vocalist singing. With its movement towards old-school hip-hop and scratches from the Chemical Brothers, it becomes full-on old-school with layers of beats, voices, and tribal beats to the point that it's time to break-dance. Moving towards electronic-dance courtesy of Josh Wink, KLF, and many others, it dabbles into funk with an appearance from Meat Beat Manifesto's Radio Babylon with its shimmering beats. With scratchy beats and vocals coming, it returns to old-school hip-hop with appearances from Herbie Hancock's Rock It, the Beastie Boys, and the Prodigy's Smack My B*tch Up as it goes for an incredible mash-up that is intoxicating.

The Sex Pistols suddenly appear with New York in a full-on charge with their punk-rock attitude with the swirling, bumping beats of Fatboy Slim coming through as it changes the vibe from punk to big beats. The old-school hip-hop starts to return in a mash-up of various tracks that features the bass lines from Primal Scream's Vanishing Point along with its swirling synthesizers. The Beastie Boys appear for some old-school hip-hop with the soothing soul of Barry White joining them along with the charging sounds of Public Enemy. With the old-school hip-hop vibe returning, LL Cool J makes an appearance with his frenetic rapping style as the sounds of the Digital Underground's Humpty Hump making an appearance with a mesh of sounds from Cold Cut, Uptown, and the London Funk All-Stars. It becomes all hip-hop right to the end with scratchy beats, spurts of rap, and other old-school vibes like robotic vocals and tribal beats. Even as it features a shimmering presentation of funky saxophones and beats with grinding guitars playing along.

Released in February of 1999, the record came out with no major hype or buzz as it was just released to little attention. Yet, the record did receive some critical acclaim due to Liam Howlett's mash-up of various tracks by other artists as it was considered one of the best DJ mix tapes ever made. The record however, was really a stop-gap album in between studio projects for the band where Keith Flint and Maxim Reality decided to venture into their own side projects. In 2000, the group's longtime dancer/occasional keyboardist Leeroy Thornhill left the group to venture into his own career as a DJ. With electronic music moving forward into the Internet age and the use of laptops, it was clear that the Prodigy's reign as electronic music's biggest act had come to an end with a hiatus period that would prove to be troubling.

The Dirtchamber Sessions Vol. 1 is a brilliant, fun, and exciting record from Liam Howlett as he proves to be the reason why the Prodigy is one of electronic music's most popular acts. While it's not as accessible as their previous studio albums, the record is still one of the most enjoyable pieces of music as it stands to be one of the best DJ mix albums ever made. It delves into various styles with a fitting tribute to old-school hip-hop while proving that Liam Howlett has great ears for samples and such. In the end, The Dirtchamber Sessions Vol. 1 is a brilliant album that serves as a great party mix while giving the listener great excuses to break-dance

The Prodigy Albums: Experience/Experience Expanded - Music for the Jilted Generation/More Music for the Jilted Generation - The Fat of the Land - Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned - Invaders Must Die

(C) thevoid99 2011

The Prodigy-The Fat of the Land

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 3/23/09.

After the huge success of 1994's Music for the Jilted Generation, the Prodigy were now becoming one of the leading acts of the burgeoning electronic music scene in Britain. Often coined as electronica, the Prodigy along with a slew of acts were bringing in a new sound of dance music that was filled with big beats, lots of hypnotic synthesizers, and something that even rock audiences can mosh too. It was considered to be the music of the future with some said that rock would be out and electronic music to be in. After a successful tour including a few shows at Lollapalooza in 1996, the Prodigy were clearly getting ready to take charge of the electronica movement where late that year, they released the single for Firestarter.

The single featured a music video that had the band's longtime dancer Keith Flint sporting a new punk look as he also sang lead vocals for the very first time. While Liam Howlett was the group's brainchild, Flint suddenly became the face for the Prodigy as the single managed to become an unexpected hit in the American modern rock charts. The sudden success in America brought attention to the industry and MTV with even bands like U2 and David Bowie jumping in on the burgeoning electronic movement as many were convinced that it was the music of the future. After another single called Breathe was released and became a hit both in the U.K. and U.S. with other electronic acts getting attention. It was clear that 1997 was going to be the year of electronica with the Prodigy leading the way as audience anticipated for the release of the band's third album entitled The Fat of the Land.

Produced by Liam Howlett, The Fat of the Land is an album filled with diverse styles of music ranging from big, industrial beats, trance-induced songs, hardcore dance numbers, and pulsating, heavy electro-rock tracks. Along with vocal contributions from members Keith Flint and Maxim Reality along with guest appearances from Kula Shaker's Crispian Mills, Republica's Saffron, and Ultramagnetic MC's vocalist Kool Keith. Along with contributions from future Pitchshifter guitarist Jim Davies, Soundgarden/Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron, and Rage Against the Machine/Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello on a bonus track. While it doesn't have the consistency or edginess of Music for the Jilted Generation, The Fat of the Land is still a phenomenal album from Liam Howlett and company.

The album opens with its controversial single Smack My Bitch Up which features a sample of the Ultramagnetic MC's song Give The Drummer Some which features the vocals of Kool Keith. With its droning, fuzzy synthesizer and smooth, pulsating beats with cymbal crashes, it features squealing noises and electronic drones. The song's infamous line from Kool Keith, "Change my pitch up, smack my bitch up" is a catchy line though it's heavily edited to make it controversial with its swirling noises of synthesizers and the eerie, trance-like vocals of Indian singer Shahin Badar. The album's second single Breathe that features vocals from Keith Flint and Maxim Reality is a hypnotic yet rhythmic track with big, heavy beats and melodic-flourishing synthesizers. With its throbbing bass line and beats along with scratchy sounds and thrashing guitars for the song's vocal parts sung by Flint and Reality as they trade verses towards each other. It's a song that is intense yet fun to dance to with its arrangements and production.

Diesel Power featuring Kool Keith on vocals and lyrics with its hollow bass-synthesizers that get louder with throbbing, pulsating beats with intense snare tracks. With its trance-like arrangements of bass, beats, and swirling synthesizers, it's Kool Keith's frenetic, intense rapping that really makes the track one of the album's standout cuts. The instrumental track Funky Shit with a voice sample of saying "Oh my God, that's the funky shit" from the Beastie Boys' Root Down as it pops up throughout the track. With its frenetic, warbling synthesizers, scratchy arrangements, and pulsating, throbbing beats, it's an instrumental that is a pure hardcore dance track with its layers of beats, swirling synthesizers, and intense performances. Serial Thrilla is an electro-rocker with industrial-like intensity in its pulsating beats, driving guitars with samples of riffs from the band Skunk Anansie. Yet, it's Keith Flint's punkish vocals and Howlett's layered, scratchy arrangements of driving synthesizers and beats that makes this track another stand out.

Mindfields is a largely-instrumental track with ominous synthesizer arrangements with Oriental-like notes, throbbing beats that come in a mid-tempo rhythm and warbling synthesizer melodies to accompany. Along with Maxim Reality's growling vocals, the track moves back and forth in terms of its production and mix as its sound lowers and then goes back full-on with breaks by Reality's vocals. The nine-minute Narayan with Crispian Mills on vocals is a trance-like track filled melodic synthesizer flourishes that delve into psychedelia. With its pulsating, snare-driven arrangements of beats and warbling, scratchy synthesizer, it's Crispian Mills' vocals filled with psychedelic-induced lyrics that kind of takes the song out of its element. Therefore, Mills' contributions is the only sore spot for the song as it often drags at times despite Howlett's arrangements and performance.

The album's leading single Firestarter that features samples of Art of Noise's Close (To The Edit) and the Breeders' S.O.S. With its blaring, wailing guitar solo, frenetic synthesizers, pulsating beats with additional live drums from Matt Cameron, it's a track that is intense and powerful due to Keith Flint's punkish vocals and angry lyrics. It's also the band's most defining single as it's a song that is a great mix of punk, rock, and electronic music. The instrumental Climbatize is a trance-like track with soothing keyboards and pulsating, hi-hat cymbal taps that is followed by a striking, melodic synthesizer and throbbing bass line. With smooth, tribal beats playing in the background, it's an instrumental that doesn't really do much as it drags the album near its closing momentum. The album's final track is a cover of the L7/Cosmic Psychos song Fuel My Fire is an electro-rocker that features intense, pulsating beats and wailing guitars. Yet, it's a track that sort of works in instrumentation for the most part except for annoying keyboard solo in the middle. What doesn't work is the annoying punk-like vocals from Keith Flint and the extremely backing vocals from Republica's Saffron as it closes the album with a whimper.

Two bonus tracks that appear in the Japanese version of the album includes a B-side and a track from the Spawn film soundtrack. The first is the B-side to Firestarter in Molotov B*tch. The instrumental track features siren-like sounds in the background with throbbing, bass-driven beats that pulsate through the entire track. With its scratchy arrangements and sweeping sounds of synthesizers makes this track a nice B-side proving Howlett's talents in arrangements and production. The second bonus track from the Spawn film soundtrack is track called One Man Army that features guitar work from Tom Morello. The bass-throbbing track with big, pulsating beats, blaring synthesizer sirens and scratchy arrangements includes Morello's scratchy, fuzzy guitar work and raps from an unidentified vocalist. The track is an excellent rarity that shows Howlett's superb arrangements and the superb guitar work of Tom Morello in its fusions for electronic music and rock.

Released in July of 1997, the album was met with a lot of hype and anticipation as it debuted at the top of the album charts in the U.K. and in the U.S. The latter of which was a surprise of sorts due to the hype as it became so far, the only electronic album to reach #1 in the U.S. album charts. Despite the Prodigy's success in America where the album sold two million copies, the American music industry who had hoped that its success would help break electronic music into the American mainstream only failed. Instead, the public consciousness for something lighter and simpler in the aftermath of grunge rock and gangsta rap was answered by the likes of new pop acts like the Spice Girls, Hanson, and the Backstreet Boys while hip-hop got glossier thanks to the likes of Sean "Puffy" Combs. While rock music got safer thanks to bands like Third Eye Blind and Matchbox Twenty, another music genre that grabbed the consciousness of the American public as an alternative scene was a ska music revival.

For the so-called electronica movement in America, it was clear that American audiences weren't ready like punk rock music 20 years before then. Though the Prodigy did become massively successful while courting controversy over its song Smack My Bitch Up which included a music video filled with drug use and strong sexual content that offended feminist groups. The Prodigy forged ahead as they toured some shows in the U.S. in 1998 while maintaining their status as electronic music's leading act in the U.K. Yet, the success would also prove problematic with Keith Flint suddenly being the face of the band that overshadowed the talents of its brainchild Liam Howlett.

While it doesn't have the brilliance or consistency of their first two albums, The Fat of the Land is still an excellent album from the Prodigy. While it's regarded as their most accessible work due to their famed singles along with some notable album cuts in the album's first half including Kool Keith's contributions. The album's unevenness in its second half due to a lackluster cover, misguided appearances, and moments where the album drags is what makes the album realize it's not great as people claim it is. Still, it's a fascinating record where at a time, people thought that electronic music would replace rock music. Yet, today, it remains an underground sensation with some moments appearing in the mainstream though still manages to remain daring and uncompromising. In the end, despite its flaws, The Fat of the Land is still a stellar yet fun album from the Prodigy.

The Prodigy Albums: Experience/Experience Expanded - Music for the Jilted Generation/More Music for the Jilted Generation - The Dirtchamber Sessions Vol. 1 - Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned - Invaders Must Die

(C) thevoid99 2011

The Prodigy-Music for the Jilted Generation/More Music for the Jilted Generation

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 3/22/09

After the release of 1992's Experience, the Prodigy, led by its brainchild Liam Howlett along with vocalist Maxim Reality and dancers Keith Flint and Leeroy Thornhill, were riding a wave of success due to its singles and shows that were making an impact on the U.K. rave scene. Despite its success, anti-rave laws in Britain were proving troubling while the electronic scene was evolving with Liam Howlett paying full attention. Moving into the hardcore techno scene while experimenting with rock and industrial dance, Howlett began to take his experiments on a single that would eventually be called One Love as it became a success. The single's success would help Howlett take on a record that would prove to the Prodigy's greatest work to date entitled Music for the Jilted Generation.

Written, produced, and performed by Liam Howlett with additional work from Neil McLellan along with writing contributions from group vocalist Maxim Reality and the famed British alternative band Pop Will Eat Itself. Music for the Jilted Generation is an album filled with intense, sprawling tracks devoting to hardcore techno with industrial beats, rock numbers, and music suites as it delves into the subject matter of anti-rave laws and drugs. Confrontational yet energetic, it's an album that proves why Liam Howlett is considered to be one of the best artists of the burgeoning electronic music movement of the 1990s. The result isn't just one of the best electronic albums of the decade but an album that helped define a music movement.

The album begins with an intro of droning synthesizers, typewriters, soft chimes, and various noises with a man talking in noir-like rhythm. Then comes Break And Enter with its throbbing, pulsating tap beats and sounds of broken glass as it features backgrounds of pulsating, metallic beats and siren-like sounds. With its warbling, droning synthesizer flourish, it's a track that definitely sets the tone for its dark, rave sound with female vocals in the background courtesy of a sample of Baby D's Casanova. The electro-rocker Their Law featuring Pop Will Eat Itself with its grinding guitars, warbling synthesizers, thumping beats, and Clint Mansell's growling vocals. With lyrics about the anti-rave laws, it's droning synthesizer and aggressive tone makes this cut one of the album's key standout tracks.

Full Throttle is a fast, thumping track with swirling keyboards that becomes this vibrant track with pulsating tribal beats, distorted scratches, vocal samples, and wailing piano tracks. Along with a sample from the 1977 film Star Wars, it features frenetic synthesizers and piano tracks that plays up to the track's speedy beats. Voodoo People opens with grinding guitar by Lance Riddler with intense, pulsating beats that play through with squealing synthesizer notes that play through along with wailing melodies. Featuring a sample of Nirvana's Very Ape, it's one of the album's best cuts and one of the best singles from the Prodigy ever released. Speedway (Theme From Fastlane) is a fast track featuring noises of race cars passing by with fast, frenetic synthesizer blares and throbbing, pulsating beats with sirens in the background. With its layers of striking synthesizers along with another synthesizer playing wooing notes as it later becomes this swooning, hypnotic track.

The Heat (The Energy) is a pulsating track with its rhythmic, thumping beats and wavy synthesizer line that gets more intense with its speedy, heavy beats and scratchy keyboards. With sections of wailing synthesizer blares and swirling noises that play in the background, it's an intense track with speedy vocals as it's a full-on, hardcore rave track. Poison is a dark, heavy track with droning synthesizer warbles and layers of beats ranging from hi-hat accompaniments to pulsating, mid-tempo beats that serves as the driving force of the song. With Maxim Reality's growling vocals, it's a track that is heavy with its industrial-like aggression and blasting production that is truly amazing to hear. No Good (Start The Dance) is a hypnotic track with its speedy bass lines and frenetic, metallic beats with thumping rhythms and striking synthesizer blares. With speedy vocals sampled from Kelly Charles' No Good For Me, it's features swooning, swirling breaks from a synthesizer as it continues towards its frenetic presentation. An edited version of One Love with its blaring synthesizer flourishes and wailing vocals as it's accompanied by speedy, thumping beats. Along with speedy, organ-like synthesizers, it's a track that is intense while living up to its sound away from the music of Experience.

The next three tracks are all part of a suite known as The Narcotic Suite with its exploration into drugs. The first is 3 Kilos that opens with bubbling sounds as it plays up as a swinging, mid-tempo track with funky guitar riffs, smooth beats with metallic snares, and melodic piano touches. With a frenetic keyboards solo accompanied by a swooning synthesizer and a flute by Phil Bent. Skylined opens with a shimmering, synthesizer track that warbles through along with tapping, thumping beats playing in the background. With a thumping synthesizer track and beats intensifying with layers of pulsating, tribal beats in the background. With a frenetic synthesizer background appearing, it's a track with various layers and sounds that play up to its intensity. The album closer Claustrophobic Sting opens with samples of laughter as its dominated by frenetic, intense synthesizers and pulsating, thumping beats that plays up to its speedy presentation. With wailing vocals in the background, it's intensity and performance filled with quiet vocals makes this track as a fitting closer for the entire album.

From the 2008 expanded edition of the album are nine tracks featuring live songs, B-sides, and remixes. The first two tracks come from the BBC Radio 1 Maida Vale Sessions. First is Voodoo People that features live guitars and louder beats performed live through Liam Howlett's array of samplers, synthesizers, and sequencers as it's more intense than its original recording. Notably its extended guitar breaks along with Maxim Reality's growling vocals in the middle of the song. The second track from that session is Poison which also features a metal-laden guitar track and extended instrumental breaks featuring DJ scratches and flute tracks. Next is an edited live version of Break And Enter that features more intense beats and blaring synthesizer sirens as it's a fantastic live performance. Another live cut from the Pukkelpop music festival is a live version of Their Law. The live version is just as intense and powerful with its grinding guitars and Maxim Reality singing the song's lyrics along with Keith Flint.

From the No Good (Start The Dance) single is the (Bad For You Mix) by Liam Howlett, is a frenetic, fast-paced track with pulsating beats with metallic taps along with thumping bass beats. With intense, blaring synthesizers and speedy bass lines, it's a rave track to the fullest with hardcore big beats and speedy vocals. From the Poison single is a B-side called Scienide with its grinding, warbling electronic presentation including swirling, fuzzy synthesizers and slow, clapping beats. With fast, thumping beats coming around, it's a wonderful instrumental piece with blaring synthesizers and pulsating beats that is intense and frenetic in its hardcore techno sound. From the Voodoo People CD single is Goa (The Heat The Energy) Pt. 2 which is a remix of The Heat (The Energy) with thumping big beats, flying noises, scratchy electronic textures, and spurting vocals. With its warbling synthesizers that are sped up in its performance, it's a remix that is intense.

Two tracks from the Voodoo People remix EP are two remixes with the first being Rat Poison, a remix of Poison which its remix also appeared in its single. The remix features more warbling, thumping bass lines and frenetic beats with cymbal crashes along with Maxim Reality's grunting vocals that are mixed in sputtering rhythms. Along with grinding guitars and Maxim's vocals, it's a remix that intensifies the original song in its energy and presentation. The last track of the expanded version of the album is a remix of Voodoo People by the Chemical Brothers. With Maxim's vocals playing through repeatedly, the remix is filled with swirling loops, throbbing bass lines, and smooth, thumping beats. With its bass leading the track along with vocals of the original track, it's truly one of the best remixes ever made from the Prodigy's great electronic-music rivals in reshaping one of their defining tracks.

Released in July 1994 in Britain, the album was a surprise hit reaching #1 in the U.K. while being released in the U.S. in late February of 1995. The album gave the Prodigy great exposure as it drew rave reviews along with hit singles that helped boost the electronic music scene in Britain. Around the same time, British music was going through serious changes as it indie scene became Brit-pop with a horde of electronic acts getting the same kind of exposure as bands like Oasis and Blur were at the time. The Prodigy was also gaining attention as a live act while in 1996, they played some dates at the Lollapalooza festival in the U.S. It was clear that the momentum for the band was gaining as they were set to take on their most successful project to date.

Music for the Jilted Generation is an intense, sprawling, and heavy masterpiece from the Prodigy. The album is truly one of the best electronic albums ever made with its ode to dance, techno, industrial, electro-rock, and various forms of electronic dance. Thanks in part to Liam Howlett's vision, it's an album that doesn't stray from its intensity as keeps the listener dancing and going crazy. Though the expanded version of the album doesn't offer much rarities that hardcore fans already have. It's a record that is still vital to this day as Music for the Jilted Generation is the Prodigy's greatest achievement to date.

The Prodigy Albums: Experience/Experience Expanded - The Fat of the Land - The Dirtchamber Sessions Vol. 1 - Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned - Invaders Must Die

(C) thevoid99 2011

The Prodigy-Experience/Experience Expanded

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 3/18/09.

When the British electronic music scene started to emerge from the late 80s after the dominance of synth-pop and the rise of the Manchester rave scene. It was clear that electronic music as well as various forms of it would start to emerge from the 1990s. One of the acts who would become the predominant act of the famed British electronic movement is the Prodigy. Formed in 1990 by musician Liam Howlett, the Prodigy was Howlett's brainchild as he formed the group with dancers Keith Flint and Leeroy Thornhill where in 1991, the band released a single to XL Recordings that became a hit in the rave circuits. After recruiting vocalist Maxim Reality, Howlett began work on what some considered to be a landmark in the British rave scene entitled Experience.

Written, produced, and performed by Liam Howlett, Experience is an album of frenetic techno and rave music with sprawling arrangements of pulsating beats, shimmering synthesizer notes, and tempos that range from various genres of electronic music to even dabbles of reggae. Featuring contributions from vocalist Maxim Reality and Simone, the album is mostly an instrumental record of sorts that serves as a soundtrack to the rave clubs of the 1990s. The result is a fascinating yet hypnotic debut album from Liam Howlett and his cohorts in the Prodigy.

The album opens with the single Jericho with its layers of frenetic, siren-like synthesizer sounds, pulsating beats, and blaring horn sounds. With wavy synthesizer lines following, it's a track that is led by its frenetic, pulsating rave beats and arrangements filled speedy vocals and even faster synthesizer melodies. Music Reach (1/2/3/4) is a track that continues the speedy, pulsating beats with more thumping bass beats and shimmering, wailing synthesizers as it features Simone singing throughout. Yet, it's dominated by layers of hypnotic synthesizers, sequencers, and beats as it features distorted, ludicrous-speed vocals. Wind It Up is a rave-inspired track that features a fast, melodic piano track and reggae-like vocals that is accompanied by furious, pulsating beats, and scratchy electronic backgrounds. With its throbbing yet intense presentation, it's a track that is perfect for a rave party with its melodic, reggae breaks.

A remix of Your Love opens with a speedy, high-pitch synthesizer solo that is scratchy along with running vocals and another vocal on top of it. With its frenetic beats and melodic piano flourishes, it's a track that is features siren-like keyboards and wailing, rhythmic vocals that plays up to the track's intensity. Hyperspeed (G-Force Part 2) starts with radio commentary and distortion as it goes into an intense, pulsating track of heavy big beats with breaks of smooth, wailing synthesizers, speedy vocals, and soft, pulsating beats. Going back to its heavy, fast big beats arrangement, it's a track that is intense yet undeniably hypnotic. Charly (Trip Into Drum And Bass Version) is a track featuring speedy, metallic beats and throbbing bass lines along with scratchy vocals. Along with melodic, fuzz-driven synthesizer tracks and frenetic arrangements, it's a track that explores the drum n' bass sub genre along with big beats and various electronic music styles.

The single Out Of Space is a reggae-inspired track featuring a sample of I Chase The Devil by Max Romeo along with a sample of the Ultramagnetic MCs track Critical Beatdown. With an intro of soothing synthesizers with melodic keyboard flourishes and scratchy beats, it's a track that features speedy vocals and bumping beats that plays through the frenetic track. Then it becomes a smooth, reggae track with various noises that returns to its frenetic presentation and moving it back and forth. Everybody In The Place (155 And Rising) is a track with hollow, melodic-swinging beats that pulsate through the entire track as it speeds up with blaring synthesizer tracks and shimmering beats that drive through the entire track along with speedy vocals. The eight-minute Weather Experience begins with a person talking about the weather on the news with haunting synthesizer tracks that becomes more sweeping in its arrangement. With its bass-heavy synthesizer distortion comes this thumping, heavy beat arrangement that plays through as it's one of the album's most haunting cuts which includes a slow bridge and sounds of thunderstorms.

The B-side single Fire (Sunrise Version) opens with a striking synthesizer track with reggae-like rhythms that is accompanied by pulsating, punchy beats and blaring vocals. Along with a melodic piano flourish in the background, it features a reggae break of speedy vocals and thumping beats with blaring synthesizer melodies. Ruff In The Jungle Bizness features speedy, scratchy vocals from Maxim Reality as it becomes this hypnotic track of melodic keyboard flourishes with pulsating, thumping beats that plays through in this jungle-inspired track which includes vocals from Simone. The album closer is a live version of Death Of The Prodigy Dancers opens with bumping bass beats and Maxim's growling vocals as it goes into this frenetic, intense track of scratchy electronics and pulsating beats. With blaring synthesizers that plays throughout, it's Maxim that drives the tracks on the vocals with whistles as it plays through its frenetic arrangements and intense performance.

From the 2001 Experience Expanded U.S. edition of the album are eleven extra tracks filled with B-sides and remixes. The first is the original version of Your Love with its upbeat, melodic piano flourishes with warbling, thumping electronic arrangements and speedy, tapping beats. With vocals playing throughout the track along with sliding guitar riffs that pop up every now and then, it maintains its hypnotic, frenetic presentation. Ruff In The Jungle Bizness (Uplifting Vibes Remix) features more striking piano melodies and frenetic beats that are more thumping in its pulsating arrangements. With its fuzzy, siren-like synthesizer tracks, it's a remix that's more intense in its presentation while adding more synthesizer layers to its track. Charly (Cat Alley Remix) is a track that features a slower yet mid-tempo rhythm with tapping beats and wailing synthesizers that play through the track. Along with an accompanying bass track and pulsating beats in the background, it features striking keyboard flourishes in the background and a squealing vocals.

An edited version of Fire includes blaring synthesizer sirens and intense, frenetic, and heavy beats that features driving keyboards that plays up to its arrangements. Along with reggae-like vocals that are sped up, it's an intense yet heavy track featuring big beats and driving rhythms. We Are The Ruffest is a remix of Ruff In The Jungle Bizness with bass-droning synthesizers, soft pulsating beats, and raga-inspired vocals. Then going into intense, thumping, and fast beats, it features speedy vocals and blaring synthesizers as it maintains its fast presentation. Weather Experience (Top Buzz Remix) features a shimmering, hi-hat cymbal track with thumping bass beats. With tapping beats playing along, it slows down into this somber yet melodic section of keyboards and soothing synthesizers with beats returning to accompany it in this moody yet pulsating remix. Wind It Up (Rewound) is a remix with speedier vocals and intense, fast tribal beats that get scratchier along with a melodic piano flourish that plays up to its tempo. With its reggae vocals still intact, it maintains its frenetic presentation of tribal beats and piano flourishes.

G-Force Pt. 1 (Energy Flow) begins with a soothing yet loud synthesizer track with blaring, horn-like sounds that includes intense, bass-heavy synthesizer tracks that play through. With its thumping, pulsating beats filled with layers of tapping beats underneath, the track includes speedy vocals and throbbing rhythms accompanied by striking synthesizers and piano flourishes for this superb rave track. Crazy Man is a track with bass-droning synthesizers, clapping beats, and blaring synthesizers that warble through the track. With the beats intensifying and getting faster, it's a track plays up to its rave atmosphere.

Out Of Space (Techno Underworld Remix) is a dub-inspired mix due to its reggae-like presentation and vocals as it warbles through with its speedy, droning tracks of beats and synthesizers. With thumping bass beats and soothing sections of melodic synthesizer flourishes, it's a track is filled with layers and sections that is wonderfully crafted in its remix. The closing track of the expanded version of the album is Everybody In The Place (Fairground Remix). With its blaring, droning synthesizers and frenetic, thumping beats, it's a remix that is more intense with speedy vocals and synthesizer sirens during the middle of the track. With scratchy synthesizers and intense beats, it's a fitting closer to the expanded version of the album.

Released in the fall of 1992, the album was considered to be a landmark in the burgeoning British electronic music scene. The record received critical acclaim as well as being a huge hit in the U.K. rave circuits while being an underground hit in the rising American rave scene. Along with singles that included remixes and B-sides, it was the that the Prodigy were helping the electronic movement gain attention just as Britain was about to take force with its indie scene. Yet despite its success, Britain was trying to create anti-rave laws along with changing movements that would inspire the Prodigy for their next album two years later.

Experience is an excellent from Liam Howlett and company that truly is one of the most fascinating albums of the 1990s electronic music scene. While it's not perfect and at times, musically repetitive. It's an album that serves as worthy soundtrack to the rave scene of the 1990s while being a great album for rave parties and such. Fans of the Prodigy will no doubt consider this as one of their essential with the material from its expanded version even though it's been in various singles from that record. In the end, for frenetic, intense music that will keep people dancing and having a good time. The Prodigy's Experience is the record to get.

The Prodigy Albums: Music for the Jilted Generation/More Music for the Jilted Generation - The Fat of the Land - The Dirtchamber Sessions Vol. 1 - Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned - Invaders Must Die

(C) thevoid99 2011